The start of a new year often arrives with loud messages about fresh starts, big goals, and becoming a “better” version of yourself. For many people living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), those messages can feel heavy—unrealistic.

When your body is unpredictable, painful, or fatigued, the pressure to reset, fix, or push harder can feel more overwhelming than hopeful.

This year, mental well-being doesn’t have to begin with resolutions.
It can begin with permission.

The New Year Can Stir Up Mixed Emotions

A new year can bring:

• Hope for relief or stability
• Fear of repeating difficult cycles
• Grief over what HS has changed
• Fatigue from years of “trying again”

All of these feelings can exist at the same time. There is no right emotional response to January 1st—only honest ones.

Mental well-being starts by allowing space for what you actually feel, not what you think you should feel.

Letting Go of the “Fresh Start” Myth

HS does not follow the calendar.

Your body doesn’t reset because the year changed—and that’s okay. Mental wellness does not require dramatic transformation or constant improvement. Sometimes, well-being looks like continuity, not change.

This year can be about:

• Doing less, not more
• Responding to your body instead of forcing it
• Releasing the belief that rest equals failure

Progress with HS is rarely linear—and mental health doesn’t need to be either.

A More Supportive Way to Think About Mental Well-Being

Instead of asking:

• What should I fix this year?

Try asking:

• What would support me this year?

Mental well-being may mean:

• Creating emotional safety on hard days
• Reducing self-blame around flares
• Allowing flexibility when plans change
• Choosing compassion over criticism

These are not small things. They are foundational.

Gentle Intentions, Not Resolutions

For people living with chronic conditions, rigid goals can quickly turn into guilt. Gentle intentions leave room for real life.

Examples of gentle intentions:

• “I will check in with my body before pushing through.”
• “I will speak to myself with more patience.”
• “I will ask for support when I need it.”
• “I will rest without explaining myself.”

Mental well-being grows through small, repeatable acts of care—not perfection.

You Don’t Have to Carry This Year Alone

At International Association of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Network, we believe mental well-being is not about fixing yourself—it’s about supporting yourself.

As this new year begins, know this:

• You are not behind
• You are not failing
• You are not alone

You are entering this year with lived experience, resilience, and the right to move at your own pace.

Let this year be less about becoming someone new—and more about being kinder to the person you already are.